This is December?

There are two reasons why I find it hard to believe that this is December. First of all, it seemed like only yesterday it was September. Or August. Secondly, it’s been over 80° every day for the past week. Supposedly it won’t get above 75 on Wednesday, but even that seems too warm for this time of year.

I received my semi-annual royalty statement from my agent for The Road to the Dark Tower on Friday and with it, for the first time, was a check. After eight years, the book has finally earned out its advance. I’ve always been pretty sure this day would arrive—it still sells, on average, about a copy a day—but I’m pleased that it has come to pass. My agent tells me that most books never earn out, so it’s quite a thrill to have that happen with my first.

We watched a few more episodes of the first season of Treme this weekend. There’s not much good news for anyone on this show, but the music is great. Loved the recording session when Davis did his version of “Shame, Shame, Shame” for his political campaign. Lots of cameos and prolonged appearances by real musicians, too, including Elvis Costello, Dr. John and Steve Earle, who also had a part in The Wire.

Down to the final four on The Amazing Race, and I don’t think I’m rooting for anyone in particular. Just want to see how it turns out. The Chippendales are the sentimental favorite, but just about anyone can still win it, after this week’s non-elimination pit stop.

I’m just now getting caught up on the current season of Dexter. It’s a pleasant surprise. Last season was okay, but I guessed the “big secret” long before it was “revealed,” so that took a lot of the suspense out of it. Given the cliff-hanger ending to the season, though, it was no big mystery that Dexter was going to start off dancing as fast as he could, and for a while it looked like he was going to pull it off. And then Debra (worst. detective. ever. by her own admission) finally put the pieces together and they had their heart to heart. In the books, Debra has known about Dexter since the Ice Truck Killer, so it’s interesting how the writers have addressed this revelation. She went through all the stages of grief, including the cussing up a storm stage. Dexter found the test case to prove his value to humanity, and Debra came to a point where she actually asked Dexter to kill someone who had escaped the law. All the secrets have come spilling out, including Debra’s big admission to Dexter (what a great scene that was). I don’t think there’s ever been a season when Dexter has admitted his nature to so many different people. And now LaGuerta’s on his trail, and how the hell can that work out without someone else going on the table or Dexter going on the run?

I really liked the complex arc with Isaak and its bittersweet resolution. It’s always fun seeing Jim Beaver (Hannah’s father) show up and do something interesting for a few minutes. Quinn’s storyline is pleasantly diverting (it gets the cameras in the strip club a lot, at least). By the way, is anyone struck by how gaunt Desmond Harrington looks? His cheeks are almost shrunken.  I like that certain subplots (like the one with the intern) have been wrapped up without dragging on for too many episodes. And I really like Dexter’s relationship with Hannah. Especially the way she forced him to call into question his dark passenger concept, which came to a head when Dexter was about to execute the phantom immolater. If it weren’t for the writer’s death, I might be tempted to think that Hannah wasn’t really a killer at all these days. She definitely killed the wife in the motel when she was fifteen and probably poisoned the counselor after she got out of juvenile detention, but we haven’t seen her act. For a while, I thought maybe the handyman had killed her old boss and her husband. It will be very interesting to see what the next two episodes—and the one more season—have in store for our favorite sociopath. Debra’s on a mission to bring Hannah to justice, LaGuerta wants to exonerate Doakes, and Dexter thinks he’s in love.